William leach



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. LEAOH.

V MEGHANIGAL STOKER.

Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

III

[III] INVENTOR;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. LEAOH. MECHANICAL STOKER.

No. 410,735. Patented Sept. l0, 1889.

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INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM LEACII, OF ACCRINGTON, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND.

MECHANICAL STOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,735, dated September 10, 1889.

Application filed July 2, 1889. Serial No. 316,290. (No model.) Patented in England November 23, 1887, No. 16,096.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM LEAcH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Accrington, Lancashire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stokers, of which the following is a specification.

Letters Patent for this invention have been obtained in Great Britain, No. 16,096, dated November 23, 1887.

This invention relates to mechanical stokers; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a steam-boiler flue A,with part of my improved apparatus in section. Fig. 2 is an end view thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken through the line a Z) in Fig. 2. Fig. i is a sectional elevation of a steam-boiler, showing the application of steam and air in combination with a deflecting-plate.

The fluesA of the boiler are partly covered with a plate 0, having doors D and one or more hoppers E for the reception of fuel, all arranged in the ordinary manner.

At the end of each furnace are fans F, placed in boxes or chambers G, such fans being caused to revolve at any required speed by means of horizontal shaft 11, driving-pulleys, and strap I. The tops of the boxes G, in which the fans revolve, are made with one or more openings, such openings being in direct communication with the horizontal chamber J, in which the feed box or boxes K are made to slide backward and forward through the medium of the slotted rod L, in which works the stud M, projecting from the face of the spur-wheel N, caused to revolve by means of worm O, fixed on the horizontal shaft H.

The reciprocatory feed box or boxes K are made with one, two, or more compartmentsY and Z,so that when either one or other of the said compartments is underneath the coalcrushing rollers P such compartment will receive a supply of fuel, so that on the rotation of the toothed spur-wheel N the slotted rod will push the feed-box first over one fan and then over the other fan consequently, as the feed-box is made without a bottom, the fuel therein will drop upon the revolving fans,

which will throw the said fuel forward into the furnace; but my improved deflecting plate or valve, which is shown at R, will regulate and determine in what part of the furnace such fuel shall be sent, and this is effected in the following manner: The deflecting plate or valve R is hinged on a pin 0, on which pin is fixed one end of the cranked arm (I, the opposite end of such arm being connected to the vertical rod 6, 011 the upper end of which rod is attached a plate fisuch plate being slotted for the purpose of allowing the short horizontal shaft- 9 to pass through. A cam h is employed,fixed upon the short shaft g, such said shaft being caused to revolve at a suitable speed by means of worm and wheel 2', driven from upright shaft through the medium of a wheel and worm 7t, fixed on the horizontal driving-shaft II. It will therefore be seen that as the cam H revolves it will come into contact with a stud or f rict-ion-pullcy Z, projecting from the plate f; consequently the upright rod 6 will be made to rise and fall, in doing which the deflecting plate or valve will be made to oscillate upon the hinged pin 0, causing such deflecting plate or valve to be raised and lowered in such manner as to lessen or increase the size of the orifice or outlet through which the fuel is sent by the fans. Therefore when the deflecting plate or valve is at its lowest point, as indicated in Fig. 2, the fuel is thrown near the entrance of the furnace; but as the said deflecting plate or valve is raised the area of the outlet is enlarged, allowing the fuel which impinges against the deflecting plate or valve to be thrown farther into the furnace, and this goes on until the deflecting plate or valve is at its highest point, when the fuel will be thrown to the farthest end of the furnace. WVhen this is done, the deflecting plate or valve begins to descend, so as to guide the fuel into other parts of the furnace. This deflecting plate or valve may rise slowly, so as to gradually feed the furnace from front to back, and then descend quickly, so that the feeding of the fuel may commence again at the front end of the furnace; or the deflecting plate or valve may descend slowly, in which case the fuel would be equally distributed as the deflector opened and also when it closed; but the motion of the deflecting plate or valve depends upon the form and shape of the cam f, which operates the parts. These deflectingplates can be made either concave or convex, or angularly shaped.

By the employment of the double feed-box and the deflecting-plate herein shown and described a perfectly self-acting mechanical stoker is provided, which not only equally distributes the fuel into the furnace, but requires very little attention on the part of the workman, and although I have shown and described the use of the crushing-rollers P, in some cases such rollers will not be necessary, as the style of feed-box is capable of receiving a supply of fuel sufficient for the fans to throw against the deflecting plate or valve, which deflecting-plate may be formed with a rib or a number of projections, as shown at m, for the purpose of preventing the fuel from too easily slipping off the said plate.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a steamboiler, showing a device forv introducing steam and air into the furnace, in combination with the deflecting-plate above described. The deflecting-plate is shown at R, and S isa pipe, one end of which is connected to the steam-boiler, While the other end enters the mouth of the pipe T, injecting steam and air upon the burning fuel. The air enters the pipe T, as indicated by arrows.

By the employment of a deflecting-plate, as herein described, for equally distributing fuel to the furnace, in combination with a device for introducing air and steam into the furnace, very little attention on the part of the workman is required, in addition to which the emission of dense smoke is prevented.

I claim as my invention 1. In mechanical stokers, the combination therewith of a deflecting-plate and reciproeating feed-box, arranged in the manner substantially as herein shown and described.

2. In mechanical s'tokers, the combination therewith of a deflecting-plate, revolving fans, and reeiprocatoryfeed-box, all arranged in the manner substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with a mechanical stoker, of an inclined deflecting-plate sup- 5o ported in front of the fuel-discharge opening, and lever mechanism for imparting oscillating motion to said plate, whereby the fuel is evenly distributed upon the grate-bars, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a mechanical stoker, of a deflecting-plate oscillating continuously in front of the fuel-discharge opening of said stoker and adapted to distribute the fuel evenly upon the grate-bars, substan- 6o tially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a mechanical stoker provided with a deflecting-plate oscillating continuously in front of its fuel-discharge outlet for evenly distributing the fuel,

' of a pipe for injecting steam and air secured above said fuel-outlet, and having its inner end bent downwardly and adapted to clear the said oscillating plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, in a mechanical stoker, with the central feed-hopper, of the horizontal chamber supported below the hopper and provided with an outlet at each end leading to the fire-box, and the reciprocating feed-box 7 5 in said chamber provided with chambers for conveying the fuel from the hopper to the said outlets, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM LEACH.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. CROSSLEY,

3 Commercial Slrectflalifaw. ERNEST P. NEWTON, Moorfield Villa, Halifax. 

